Loose-leaf binder.



R. M. WATSON.

LOOSE LEAF BINDER.

APPLICATION FILED OOT.18, 1911.

1,042,625. O Patented 0011.29, 1912.

. fig. 6;

wumnu PLANOGRAPH c0.. WASHINGTON, D. c.

llhllTED STATES PATENT QFFTQE.

RICHARD M. WAT$O1 T, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE BLACKWELIJ,

WVIELANDY BOOK & STATIONERY COMPANY, OF ST. LQUIS, MISSOURI, A COB.-

PORATION.

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patentedflot. 29,1912.

T 0 (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD M. WA'rsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, county of Wayne, State of Michr gan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Loose-Leaf Binders, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to loose-leaf binding devices and consists in combinations and arrangements hereinafter described and claimed in the following specification.

In the drawings :Figure 1, is a plan view of the device showing means for adjusting as to distance. Fig. 2, is a side view of the same with the clips or holding devices closed. Fig. 3, is an end view showing the clips closed and also showing the locking device for preventing endwise movement of the clip on the base plate. Fig. t, shows the clip opened and the locking devices withdrawn. Fig. 5, is an enlarged sectional view on the line 00 a: of Figs. 1 and 2 showing the looking devices on a larger scale. Fig. (i, is a plan view of another form of my invention. Fig. 7, is a longitudinal section thereof on the central line r0."0. Fig. 8, is a cross sectional view of Fig. 7 on the line 00 00 Fig. 9, is still another modification in which both clips are non-adjustably spaced and are connected with each other. Fig. 10, is a central sectional view of Fig. 9 on the line yfi-y". Fig. 11 is a cross sectional view of Fig. 9, on the line 3 y.

In the drawings, similar letters refer to similar parts.

In the drawings, A is a base plate shown in plan view in Fig. 1, and in a side elevation in Fig. 2, end elevation in Figs. 3 and a and in cross section in Fig. 5. This base plate is curved at the sides a, a, as shown in Fig. 5, forming channels on each side at a, a.

A short plate B slides in these channels and also held therein by the channel is an upper plate C with two Us formed therein, marked 0, 0; these folds or Us form bearings in which are pivoted two half rings D, D, the lower part of each half ring being bent at right angles at (Z, (Z, to pass through the bearings, especially as shown in Fig. 1, their further ends after passing the bearing being bent inwardly at d, cl, to meet where they are united to form a toggle joint E (see especially Fig. 5). There is sutficient spring in the plate C, due to the well known capacity of sheetmetal held rigidly at the edges to flex or warp in and out, to hold the half rings in open position as shown in Fig. 1 or in closed position, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, depending, in the position shown in Fig. 4:, upon the warping or flexing of the metal of the plate C toward the half rings and depending in the position shown in Figs. 3 and 5 upon the warping or flexing of the metal of plate G away from the half rings.

Upon one of the half rings, is attached a lug F that swings with the half ring, say D, it being immaterial .to which one it is attached. The base plate A has its center punched into corrugations, some of which are shown in Fig. 2 and a large number shown in Fig. 1. Any suitable number of them be formed in the base plate so as to permit of the longitudinal adjustment of the conjoint plates B and C carrying the half rings D, D, together with the locking device F so that such plates and the holding rings D, D, may be adjusted with reference to another set upon the same base plate. It will be understood that in forming a loose leaf binder, two of these spring clips may be used for holding the leaf or leaves that both may be adjustable as to distance or one may be adjust-able only, the other being fixed,

It is obvious that on opening the half rings, the locking device F will be withdrawn from the notches G and thereby permit the sliding of the clip to fit any assembled cutting of the paper. Whereas, when in position with the half rings closed holding the paper, the locking device automatically locks the clip in the proper position.

The operation of this device is obvious from the description.

In Fig. 6, there is shown a base plate H similar to that shown in Fig. 1, and having central corrugations g or notches similar to those shown in Fig. 1 at G. The base plate H is curved in cross section, as shown in Fig. 8.

Two partially rotating clips D D are journaled in bearings formed in two cross plates J, J, (see Fig. 8) which plates have a central curvature for a purpose hereinafter described. The extended ends of the journaled portions of the clips D D after passing through the bearings K, K, are bent inwardly in substantially the same manner and their ends abut against each other, as shown in the previous construction, and as shown in this construction in Fig. 8.

The ab ve described ends L, L, of the clip abut together to form a toggle joint and to have a tooth and notch engagement so that they will not slip by each other. On swinging out for the purpose of opening, the clips D D", and toggle joints spread the bearing plates J, J, by tending to straighten them out, and as the bearing plates are inserted in grooves 71., h, formed by inturning the edges of the base plate H, the base plate gives sufficient elasticity and play of movement to place the toggle joint action under spring tension, the same as in the structure heretofore described, although not exactly in the same manner.

A small spring tongue M is looped and hooked over the bearing plates J, J, at m, and passes under the toggle joint ends L, L, and has its end bent at right angles, as shown in Fig. 7, at m, the bent end bearing upon the base plate H and adapted to enter the notches 9, that are formed therein.

When the clips are closed, as in Fig. 3, the ends L, L, forming the tog le joint press upon the spring tongue M and thereby create a spring tension upon its down turned end m and forces that end into engagement with the notches in the bottom of the plate H and thus lock the structure carrying the clips and prevent longitudinal movement thereof. l Vhen the clips are opened and the toggle joint is raised, the tension is removed from the spring clip M, thus permitting it readily to be shifted along the base plate H and in this manner, its location may be adjusted thereon and when the clips are adjusted and closed for holding the leaves, they are locked in position by the toggle joint action upon the spring clip M.

ltn Figs. 9, 10 and 11, l have shown another modification in which two clips may be used, journaled as described. in the previous structures and having a toggle joint action substantially the same, but in which they are so modified that instead of being longitudinally adjustable, they are made of two pieces of wire, the extreme ends forming clips, each end of each clip being ournaled in base plates substantially as described and then instead of extending the opposite ends at right angles inwardly and downwardly to form a toggle joint, the two wires are bent inward to a meeting point and form a common toggle joint for all of the clips. In this structure N, is the base plate having cross sections shown in Fig. 11, P, P, the

1 ,oaaeas bearing plates, R, R, the clips, R, R, the inwardly bent portions in the center thereof where these inwardly bent portions come in contact and are shaped so as to form a tog gle joint at R In this form, the elasticity that is necessary to hold the toggle joint open or closed is the resiliency of the wires R, R, themselves, although it is obvious that the fashioning of the bearing plates in forms such as shown in Fig. 8, would permit of sutlicient resiliency for the purposes as in that figure. I do not claim in this application, the employment of the resiliency of the wires to give the nece sary spring action, but I. have made this the subject of another application, Serial No. 607,459. l ft is also obvious that the distance between the pairs of clips R, R, in the form shown in Fig. 9 may be varied in forming the structure, but it is also obvious that the distance is invariable when the structure is once formed. It is not therefore necessary to use any locking devices in that construction and structure. The mode of operation of these other forms is also apparent from the fore going description.

hat I desire to claim is 1. A loose leaf binder, having in combination, a base plate provided with corrugations, a pair of half rings slidably connected with said base plate and arranged together to form a. toggle joint and a member projectable into any one of the recesses formed by the corrugations by the half rings closing and lifted out of the recesses by the half rings opening, substantially as described.

2. A loose leaf binder, having in combination, a base plate provided with turned over sides to form channels, a plate held within said channels by said over-turned sides of the base plate, the said plate having a pair of bearings running its entire length and a pair of half rings having their base portions bent at right angles to the upright ring portions, the said base portions being rotatably journaled in said bearings and extending beyond the opposite ends of the bearings and bent in toward each other to contact with each other and form a toggle joint, substantially as described.

3. A loose leaf binder, having in combination a base plate provided with turned over sides forming channels, a plate B slidably held in said channels by said turned over sides of the base plate, a plate C slidably held in said channels by said turned over sides of the base plate, the plate C being provided with bearings and being flexible to provide spring action, a pair of half rings journaled in said bearings and meeting at their base portions to form a toggle joint and means operated by the closing of said half rings for fixing said slidable plates with respect to the base plate, substantially as described.

" spect to each other to form a to gle joint and a lug attached to one of the half rings and projectable into any one of the recesses of the corrugated base plate by the closing of said half rings and drawn away from the corrugations by the opening of the half rings, substantially as described.

5. A loose leaf binder, having in combination, a base plate provided with turned over sides forming channels and provided with corrugations located between said channels, a plate B slidably held in said channels by said turned over sides of the base plate, a plate C slidably held in said channels by said turned over sides of the base plate, the plate C being provided with bearings and being flexible to provide spring action, a pair of half rings journaled in said bearings and meeting at their base portions to form a toggle joint and a lug attached to one of the half rings and projectable into any one of the recesses formed by the corrugations of the base plate by closing of the half rings and capable of being withdrawn from the said corrugations by the opening of said half rings.

In testimony whereof, I fication in the presence of RICHARD sign this specitwo witnesses. M. W'ATSON. Witnesses:

LoTTA LEE BRAY,

R. A. PARKER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Washington, D. C.

Commissioner of Patents, 

